Crusher



Aug. 1, 1939. R. s. BUTLLER CRUSHER Original Filed Dec. 31, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Imuenzum- ]?0Z1%% 4,...

R. "S. BUTLER GRUSHER Original Fil erfi Dec 19-34 2-3 Sheets-Sheet 2 no equivalent size material.

Patented Aug. 1, 1939' CRUSHER Robert S. Butlen'claremont, N. H., assignor to Sullivan Machinery Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 31, 1934, Serial No. 759,967

. Renewed July '15, 1937 13 Claims.

My invention relates to crushing mills, and particularly to mills which are especially adapted for the reduction in size of masses of rock ore, re-

wtort residues, coal, and othermaterials, from sizes of several inches in diameter to sizes of an inch or smaller in maximum dimension. In general, my invention is intended to perform more simply, eillciently and at less expense, the operation of all present commercial mills crushing An object of my invention is to provide an improved crushing mill. Another object of my invention is to provide an improved crushing mill requiring a minimum amount of power in propor- .1 5 'tion to the amount of useful work performedin other words, a mill in which the largest possible fraction of the power input is expended in the sizereduction of the material to be crushed. A further object of my invention is to provide a crush- ,20 ing mill of very simple construction, susceptible in some forms to very nearly balanced design, and having a very small number of moving parts, and in all forms providing for minimum bearing loads. A further object of my invention is to provide an ,25 improved crushing mill of the impact type, a mill in which a maximum number of impacts is attainable, and in which the force of the blows may be made very high though the mill be of extremely small size-an improved mill, moreover, in

30 which, by appropriate selection of part sizes and structure, maidmum emciency may be attained for substantially any material which may require size reduction, and in the selection of which varying hardness, inability, and other characteristics 35 of the material may be given full weight.

' Still another object of myinvention is to provide an improvedcrusl'iing mill of a type inwhich idle running, that is, running with discontinued i'eed, requires a minimum of power. Still a fur- .40 ther object of my invention is to providean improved crushing apparatus in which the kinetic energy of cooperating moving parts may be availed of most effectively in effecting the crushing action. Yet another object of my invention ,45 is to provide, in one embodiment of my inven-' tion, a most eflectively self-counterbalancing de- 811. so that total power consumption may be greatly reduced. Other objects ind advantages of the invention will hereinafterv more fully ap- 50 pear.

According to one aspect of my invention, I have provided an improved mill in which, in simpleat form, a pair of relatively-movable impact elements are brought together in such manner 65 thatone element is positively driven, the secondderives its motion from the first, the first element is positively reversed periodically in its movement, and provision is made whereby, due .to the relative shapes, arrangement and sizes of said elements, maximum advantage of their ;5 kinetic energy may be secured. Further, preferably, feed and discharge during continuous operation are provided for.

In a preferred embodiment, a positively moved chamber, positively alternately oppositely moved at a rapid rate in a predetermined path and providing portions performing the dual functions of a hammer and an anvil, encloses a cooperating crushing element which is guided for movement in a like path with said first mentioned element and is caused to traverse its path in part while traveling in like direction with said first mentioned element, and in part while traveling oppositely to said first mentioned element, so that frequent crushing operations are efiected between said second element, which is also adapted to perform both hammer and anvil functions, and the first mentioned element. In the design of such a device, provision for feed at an appropriate rate, for the necessary relative travel of the cooperating crushing elements, and for the appropriate velocities and masses or "equivalent masses thereof, have been adequately cared for. The internal crushing medium may, obviously, be unitary, or composed of a plurality of cooperating elements-with a preferance ordinarily for the former in chambers of narrow width. 1

By providing an oscillating path of movement, it'is possible to effect a continuous feed and discharge of material to be processed relative to the -3 mill, providing the feed at a point where minimum motion takes place, and eifecting discharge at a point where centrifugal force may, if desired, be availed of in promoting discharge. With 1 the maximum size of the material to be processed #40 determined, and suitably controlled feed, the dimensionsof the device are determined, given the hardness and friability of the material to be processed, as follows: From the hardness of the material, thenecessary force of the blow, which 5 varies with the kinetic energy, can be determined. The desired kinetic energy may be secured by selecting an appropriate mass for the free moving one of the cooperating elements, which mass will vary with the size of the material to be $5 broken and the hardness thereof; and then determining what relative velocitybetween the cooperating crushing elements is essential, and providing the requisite rate of movement between the elements.

The rate at which the chamber-providing member is moved is predetermined by selecting appropriate transmission mechanism for imparting to it opposite movements in the predetermined path (preferably an arcuate path) selected: as, for example, selecting a crank and connecting rod as the driving means, and then selecting a speed of crank rotation and a crank throw suited to provide the desired velocity. The chamber length may be established upon a basis to provide for the successive engagements between the cooperating crushing elements to occur when these elements have maximum relative velocity, which of course occurs when they are going in opposite directions. Approximately this result is obtained by selecting a chamber length in which the freely movable crushing element when moving in one direction shall encounter one side of the material to be crushed, and the combined hammer and anvil portion of the other (the chamber-providing) crushing element engages the other side of the material to be crushed, and both are traveling at approximately maximum velocity. The size of the freely movable crushing element naturally is an essential factor in the chamber dimension, and also the size of the material; and'for average values satisfactory provision can be made by selecting a chamber length equal to the dimension, in the direction of their relative movement, of the freely movable element, plus one and one-half times the sum of the travel of the chamber-providing element and the maximum material size. If less violence ofimpact, so to speak, is required, the characteristics of the coaction of the relatively moving elements may be varied by altering the free travel of the chamber contents, and attrition increased and sharp impact reduced to a marked extent by modifying dimensions or chamber travel so that the moving chamber contentsincluding crusher element and material-deliver all their kinetic energy not expended in sizereduction of the material being crushed or in internal rearrangement of the chamber contents, to the amber element by or prior to the extreme positio of the latter.

Reciprocatory or oscillatory motion, rectilinear or curvilinear, may be provided, with the ease of feeding rendering the arcuate movement of the chamber-providing element preferable when other factors are equal. A wide variety of drives of the positively driven member may be employed. Solid or hollow freely movable elements, supported for sliding or rolling movement, or pivotally supported either by the chamberforming member or independently thereof, all fall within possible embodiments of my invention, and all may be adapted to secure the powerful crushing action,-employing the kinetic energy of the moving parts, which characterizes my invention from one of its aspects.

In the accompanying drawings, in which two forms which my invention may assume in practice have been'shown for purposes of illustration,

L 05 Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through one of the illustrative embodiments.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of 10 Fig. 4 through anotherembodiment of the in-.

vention, showing the driving means, which is only fragmentarily illustrated in Fig. 4, in simplified form.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on-the line4-4 of Fig. 3'. 7-

Referring to the drawings, and for the present to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, it will be observed that a suitable base, a portion of which is shown at .l, and which is provided with an opening at '2 for the extension therethrough of a discharge chute 3, supports a pair of laterally offset upstanding frame members 5, 5 suitably reinforced by ribs 5 and attached by feet portions 1 and bolts 8 to the base frame i. The side frame members provide laterally extending portions ll providing supporting surfaces ll upon which suitable pillow blocks [2 are secured. Within the latter a crankshaft l3 having a crank pin i4 is appropriately journaled, and the crankshaft is provided with suitable flywheel and driving means, herein shown in the form of a flywheel l5 and a combined flywheel and driving pulley [5. Power may be transmitted to rotate the shaft l3 by any suitable means as, for example, by the belt I! driven by an electric{motor or any suitable prime mover not shown. From the crank pin l4 a connecting rod l8 extends to a wrist pin l9 which is supported between the parallel arms projecting laterally from a pivotally supported crushing chamber member generally designated 2|. The latter, which is pivotally supported adjacent its upper end by the frame members 5, 5, comprises an upper receiving chute portion 22, a depending hollow arm portion23 through which the material to be crushed passes. and a bottom chamber-forming portion 24 in which the crushing chamber 25 is formed. Discharge can be provided through end, bottom or side chamber walls, or through a plurality of them. Herein, the bottom of the chamber portion 24 is provided with suitable discharge means which may take the form of longitudinal slots, of which one is shown at 26, and which may be provided either in the wall proper of the member 24 or in a separable renewable element. In practice, appropriate liners may be inserted in the chamber 25 for the purpose of localizing wear and increasing the life of the chamber member proper 24. Within the chamber 25 there is mounted free crushing means which may assume various forms and may be assured of free movement in various ways, but in the present illustrative embodiment of the invention this free crushing means is shown in the form of a relatively large ball C of suitable alloy steel as, for example, a chrome alloy, which ball may, if desired, be case-hardened to increase its life. When the chamber member 24 is not in motion the ball simply rests stationary upon the bottom wall of the chamber, which is shown of split construction to permit replacement of the ball and the ready insertion and removal of liners when the latter are used. The vertical dimension of the chamber proper 25 is limited to a height only slightly exceeding the diameter of the'ball'so as to confine the latter in its movement during the crushing operationand insure its traversing a path so close to the bottom of the chamber that the buildingup of a layer of material, clogging the outlet openings, is impossible.

The construction described will ,be noted to comprise relatively movable crushing means, one of which will be positively moved in opposite directions, with frequent reversals of movement, so that alarge number of cycles of movement will occur in a relatively short time; and the other element, which is referred to above as the free moving element, will also travel through cyclic movements which are now like in direction the movements of the positively moved means, and g now in opposite direction with respect thereto, so that periodic impacts are delivered to the material to be crushed-at least two to each cycle of movement of the positively moved crushing means.

The relative dimensions of the free moving means and of the positively moved means in their respective directions of movement is highly important. Since the intensity of the crushing action is with this apparatus secured in large measure through employment of the kinetic energy of the relatively moving parts, it is desirable that these parts be moving at maximum velocities at their moments of concurrent opposite action upon the material to be crushed. For material of a given size and hardness there is a certain minimum size and mass of the free moving crushing means which will be found to be necessary for effective results. For the harder materials, the size, in directions transverse to its path of movement, of the free moving crushing means will be found to equal or exceed the size of the largest fragments of material to be crushed which are to be subjected to the mill action. For softer, more easily crushed material, and for more friable materials not requiring too great initial force to effect initial fracture, the dimension of the free crushing means may be reduced below the maximum size of the material to be subjected to its action. This free crushing means may at times be made hollow when size should be maintained, but because of the characteristic of the material to be crushed a diminished weight may be practicable. The free crushing means need not be of steel or iron. Where the presence of these metals might interfere with subsequent processes and for soft materials such as talc or the like, the free moving crushing means may even be composed of rubber or perhaps of a rubber-coated heavier body.

The mode of determining the chamber dimension has been explained above, and having determined the ball size and the force of blow from study of the material to be processed, the ball velocity will be readily calculated to provide the requisite energy for the crushing of the material. Desirable speeds for operation of a mill of this type have been found to lie between five hundred and one thousand R. P. M. of the drive shaft, which means, with connecting mechanism of the type illustrated, from five hundred to one thousand complete oscillatory cycles. It is by no means to be inferred that these constitute limiting values, but they are suggested as having been found satisfactory. The number of cycles having been determined, it then becomes possible, having in mind the calculated necessary velocity, to determine the throw of the driving crankshaft; and this being known, the dimensions of the chamber itself may readily be calculated, for, as above indicated, the internal dimension of the chamber may advantageously be made approximately according to the following formula, to wit: L=D+1 M+1 S, in which formula: L=the length of the chamber along its median longitudinally extending line; D=the dimension of the crushing medium in the direction of chamber oscillation (this would be the diameter of the ball if a ball-type medium be used); M=the maximum dimension ofthe largest pieces of material to be crushed; and S=the stroke of the chamber. Now, with the apparatus thus designed and built, with appropriate liners if desired, and suitable driving and feeding means, the mode of operation will besomewhat as folation of this device.

provided access of approximately proper size for' the admission into the chamber of the largest unbroken pieces of material to be processed. The

chamber will be oscillated at a rapid rate by the driving means described, and the free moving element 0 will attain, during the movements of the crank in, for example, the first and third quadrants (approximately), a velocity equal to the velocity of the casing member. During, using the same example, the second and fourth quadrants there will be retardation of the casing, and upon the passing through the dead center positions, the casing will begin to move in a direction opposite to the direction in which the member 0 is then traveling, and with the proportioning of the parts described, the casing will be able to attain to nearly its maximum velocity before crushing occurs due to the simultaneous action of a chamber end and of a free crushing medium surface upon the opposite sides of unbroken material. It will be appreciated that the reversal of the free moving crushing medium will become almost instantaneous when the device is operating at full speed, and there will not be a slow building up of speed of this medium practically throughout the first and third quadrants, to continue the example, but instead a very rapid acceleration practically immediately following impact. Because of the locus of impact in the cycle, probable maximum relative velocity of both bodies at the instant of impact will not be possible when the device is operating at full speed, but an approximation of this desired result will be possible, and accordingly, due to the opposite relative motions between the parts, there will be an output, considering the size of the unit and the power required, very high compared with any commercial mill with which I am now acquainted. Due to the chamber dimension, there will be no possibility of escape of the material out of the path of the relatively moving parts, except as it is allowed to pass after reduction in size through the grating provided for that purpose. It will be evident that the device is extremely simple, very light in proportion to the amount ofwork done, and highly efllcient.

Of course, where maximum sharpness of impact is unnecessary, as with softer material, the free travel of the chamber contents or of the free medium may be diminished-by chamber shortening, faster feeding or greater free medium lengthand an approach to pressure crushing attained by bringing about coaction of the crusher elements on the work at or before the dead center position.

With reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, there is shown in these figures an arrangement of the parts whereby bearing stresses may be reduced due to a counterbalancing of the marked centrifugal force which attends the oper- This centrifugal force is, of course, of great benefit in that it provides a powerful rolling, crushing action as the free medium traverses the inner surface of the outer chamber wall. However, if the bearing strains and friction can be reduced, this is, of course, desirable; and these results are attained in the apparatus shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It will be observed in these figures thata vertical hollow shaft 38 is supported upon a suitable combined antifriction and thrust bearing 3| upon a frame member 32 supported upon suitable foundation 33. The shaft 38 is rotatably supported at a higher point in the bearing 34 which is in turn supported by arms 35 which are suitably mounted upon stationary upstanding frame portions 38 in which the material discharge is provided for. The structure of this last mechanism will be briefly described later. The shaft 38 supports a double chamber structure 31 providing a pair of chambers 38 and 39 in which suitable free moving crusher elements 0 are freely mounted. By virtue of the mounting of the shaft 38, it may be provided with a supply chute A, or funnel mouth, which undergoes no bodily movement but only rotary movement, and accordingly material may be fed easily into the crusher at all times despite the operationof the latter. The chambers 38 and 33 are connected by radially extending passages 48 and 4| with the interior 42 of the upper portion of the hollow shaft 38, and a deflector baiile 43 is arranged to cause the passage of material falling through the passage 42 into the passages 48 and 4|. The frame structure 36 previously described includes a pair of upstanding hollow portions 45 suitably braced at 46 and held at 41 to the bed 32. These members 45 provide more or less 'arcuate chambers 48 having vertically disposed arcuate mouths 49 of greater- 'arcuate extent than is requisite to permit the normal oscillations of the member 31. The chambers 38 and 39 have appropriate discharge passages 58 through which adequately reduced material, may pass into the spaces 48, and the material thus passing into the chambers 48 passes down through passages 52 to a point of desired delivery. The shaft 38 carries rigidly fixed thereto an arm 53 carrying a pin 54 which is suitably connected by a connecting rod 55 to the crank pin 88 of the vertical driving shaft 51 having appropriate driving and energy storing means, herein shown in the form of a suitable heavy-rim flywheel 58. Drive of the flywheel is eflected' by belt 59 driven by any suitable prime mover or motor, not shown. I

Now the mode of operation of this form of the invention will be readily understood, and it will be appreciated that as the belt drives the flywheel 58, the crankshaft 81 rotates on the vertical axis and the crank pin 58, through the connecting rod 55 and arm 53, rocks the vertical shaft 88. As a result, the chamber member 31 will be oscillated about the axis of the shaft 38, and in each of the chambers there will occur a cycle of operations similar to that described with respect to the single chamber crusher embodiment previously described. The material passing through the chute A and deflected into the radial passages 48 and 4| by the deflector 43 will move radially into the crushing chambers, and having been reduced therein, will discharge through the passages 58 into the chambers 48 and be led away through the passages 82. The various advantages described with reference to the single chamber embodiment are obviously present with the present device. A very eificient crushing operation will be obtained; the material delivered to the chambers 48 will be delivered through the passages 82 to a desired-point of use; the kinetic energy of the relatively moving parts is available and used precisely asin the previous embodiment described, and because of the counterbalancing, bearing stresses and friction will be greatly reduced,

Letters Patent is:

It will be evident from the foregoing description that I have provided a very effective crushing mill, one much lighter than mills of comparable size and presently used types, and withal capable of handling material running somewhat larger than has heretofore been handled by any mill of remotely comparable size, due to the employment of the kinetic energy of the relatively moving crushing means for the purpose of effecting a breaking of the material to be processed:

While I have in this application specifically described two forms which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that these forms of the same are shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by 1. In a mill, in combination, a frame, a pendulum pivotally supported on said frame for oscillatory movement, means for oscillating said pendulum, said pendulum having" an elongated, arcuate, size-reducing chamber therein extending in w the planes of oscillation of said pendulum, and a single size-reducing element within said chamber of a dimension normal to the path of oscillation of said pendulum approximating the radial dimension of said chamber and constrained as to movement only by the chamber walls, the length of said chamber and its range of oscillation being such in comparison with the dimension of said element longitudinally of said chameber that during size-reduction of materlalin said chamber said element partakes successively of bodily movement at substantially the same an-. gular rate as and with said pendulum, and of bodily travel within said chamber relative to said pendulum. 2. In a mill, in combination, a frame, a pen-- dulum pivotally supported on said frame for oscillatory movement, means for oscillating said pendulum, said pendulum havingan elongated, arcuate, size-reducing chamber therein extending in the planes of oscillation of said pendulum and conforming in curvature to arcs of circles struck from the pivot axis of said pendulum as a center, and a single size-reducing element within said chamber of a dimension normal to the path of oscillation of said pendulum approximating the radial dimension of said chamber and constrained as to movement only by the chamber walls, the length of said chamber and its range of oscillation being such in comparison with the dimension of said element longitudinally of said chamber that during size-reduction of material in said chamber said element partakes'successively of bodily movement at substantially the same angular rate as and with said pendulum and of travel within said chamber relative to said pendulum.

3. In a mill, in combination, a frame, a pendulum pivotally supported on said frame for oscillatory movement, means for oscillating said pendulum, said pendulum having an elongated, arouate, size-reducing chamber therein extending in the planes of oscillation of said pendulum and 'a single size-reducing element within said chamber approximately spherical in form and of similar radial dimension to the radii of said ends and constrained as to movement only by the chamber walls, the length of said chamber and its range of oscillation being such in comparison with the diameter of said element that during size-reduction of material in said chamber said element partakes successively of bodily movement at substantially the same angular rate as and with said pendulum and of travel within said chamber relative to said pendulum.

4. In a mill, in combination, a frame, a pendulum pivotally supported on said frame for oscillatory movement, means for oscillating said pendulum, said pendulum having an elongated, arcuate, size-reducingchamber therein extending in the planes of oscillation of said pendulum, and a single size-reducing element within said chamber of a dimension normal to the path of oscillation of said pendulum approximating the radial dimension of said chamber and constrained as to movement only by the chamber walls, the length of said chamber and its range of oscillation being such, in comparison with the diameter of said element, that during size-reduction of material in said chamber said element partakes successively of bodily movement at substantially the same angular rate as and with said pendulum and of travel within said chamber relative to said pendulum, and said chamber having concave ends conforming in longitudinal vertical section substantially in curvature to the outline in side elevation of the respectively cooperating portions of said size-reducing element.

5. In a mill, a frame, a member supported and guided thereon for arcuate oscillatory movement and providing a radially elongated feed passage normal to the path of oscillatory movement of said member and terminating at its mouth in an elongated size-reducing chamber extending in the planes of oscillation of said member, and a relatively large, freely rotatable and bodily displaceable size-reducing element enclosed in said chamber and constrained as to movement only by the walls of said chamber and having a portion there? of at all times opposite the mouth of the feed passage and in the end positions thereof receivable fora material portion of the dimension thereof longitudinally of said chamber within the ends of said chamber, and means for oscillating said member. a

6. In a mill, a frame, a member supported for oscillatory movement by said frame and including a radially elongated feed passage terminating at its mouth in a circumferentially elongated size-reducing chamber, a single relatively large size-reducing element enclosed in said chamber and free to move within and relative to the latter save as constrained by the walls of said chamber, said chamber more than twice in length its dimension transverse to its path of oscillation and said element approximating in transverse dimension said last mentioned dimension, and means for oscillating said member.

7. In a mill, a frame, a pendulum pivotally supported on said frame for oscillatory movement and having an elongated arcuate chamber therein, means for positively oscillating said pendulum, a free spherical crusher "element in said chamber constrained as to movement only by said chamber walls and having a diametrical dimension of relatively the same order as the vertical-dimension of said chamber, and means for feeding said chamber during movement thereof, said chamber of a length approximately equal to the diameter oi the crusher element plus one and one-half times the sum of the full amplitude of oscillation of the chamber and the maximum material 8. In a mill, 9. frame, a pendulum pivotally supported on said frame for oscillatory movement and having an elongated arcuate chamber therein, means for oscillating said pendulum positively, a free crusher element in. said chamber having a dimension normal to the bottom of said chamber of relatively the same order as the dimension of said chamber in such direction and constrained as to movement only by said chamber walls, and means for feeding said chamber during movement thereof, said chamber of a. length approximately equal to the dimension, in the direction of relative movement between said chamber and crusher element, of the crusher element plus one and one-half times the full amplitude of chamber oscillation plus one and a proper fraction times the maximum material size.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, an oscillating chamber having an internal bottom surface struck on an arc whose center coincides with the axis of oscillation of said'chamber opening, supporting means for said chamber providing a feed passage leading to said feed opening, said feed intake opening of a dimension longitudinallyof said chamber materially less than the radial dimension of said chamber, means for rapidly oscillating said chamber, and a free sizereducing medium within said chamber effective when in either end of the latter partially to obstruct said feed intake opening.

10. In a mill, a frame, a member supported and guided thereon for arcuate oscillatory movement and providing mutually-opposite, radially-elongated feed passages each terminating at its mouth in an elongated, arcuate, size-reducing chamber extending in the planes of oscillation of said member and to whose curvature the axes of said feed passages are normal, a free size-reducing means in each chamber, means for rapidly oscillating said member, said chambers having discharge means for size-reduced material, and stationary receiving-chamber-providing. means for receiving and leading off size-reduced material discharged through said discharge means 11. In a mill, a frame, a member supported and guided thereon for arcuate oscillatory movement and providing mutually-opposite, radiallyelongated feed passages each terminating at its mouth in an elongated, arcuate, size-reducing chamber extending in the planes of oscillation of said member and to whose curvature the axes of said feed passages are normal, a free size-reducing means in each chamber, means for rapidly oscillating said member, said chambers having discharge means for size-reduced material opening outwardly radially and downwardly therefrom, and stationary receiving-chamber-providing means partially enclosing the size-reducingchamber-providing portions of said member for receiving and leading off size-reduced material discharged through said discharge means.

12. In a mill, a frame, a member supported and guided thereon for oscillatory movement, means for rapidly oscillating said member, said member having a feed opening surrounding its axis of oscillation, a plurality of radially extending passages communicating at their inner ends with said feed opening, and arcuate size-reducing chambers whose curvature conforms to arcs struck from the center of oscillation of said member and arranged at the outer ends of said feed struck from the center of oscillation of said member and spaced from each other and from said central opening, passages respectively connecting said chambers with said opening, openingsthrough the radially-outer walls of said chambers for the discharge of size-reduced material, size-reducing media in said chambers, and supply and receiving means respectively for material to be sizereduced and for material which has undergone reduction in said chambers.

ROBERT S. BUTLER. 

